Diagnostic error as a result of drug-laboratory test interactions

Publication

Publication

DIAGNOSIS
,
Volume 6
-
Issue 1
p. 69-
71

Background: Knowledge of possible drug-laboratory test
interactions (DLTIs) is important for the interpretation
of laboratory test results. Test results may be affected by
physiological or analytical drug effects. Failure to recognize these interactions may lead to misinterpretation of
test results, a delayed or erroneous diagnosis or unnecessary extra tests or therapy, which may harm patients.
Content: Thousands of interactions have been reported in
the literature, but are often fragmentarily described and
some papers even reported contradictory findings. How can
healthcare professionals become aware of all these possible interactions in their individual patients? DLTI decision
support applications could be a good solution. In a literature search, only four relevant studies have been found
on DLTI decision support applications in clinical practice.
These studies show a potential benefit of automated DLTI
messages to physicians for the interpretation of laboratory
test results. All physicians reported that part of the DLTI
messages were useful. In one study, 74% of physicians even
sometimes refrained from further additional examination.
Summary and outlook: Unrecognized DLTIs potentially
cause diagnostic errors in a large number of patients.
Therefore, efforts to avoid these errors, for example with
a DLTI decision support application, could tremendously
improve patient outcome.